Saturday morning in Montreal usually felt like a fresh start, but for Layla, it felt like waking up in the middle of a tangled web. She lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, the silence of the house amplified by the storm inside her head. She was done. Done with the cryptic silences from Liam, and definitely done with the high-voltage tension from the boy next door.
Yesterday's dinner at the lake had been a disaster, a mirror image of her time with Jade that left her feeling like she was trespassing on someone else's memories. But even as she tried to focus on her frustration with Liam, her mind kept drifting back to the driveway. I like you. Jade's confession was a persistent hum in the back of her brain. She didn't understand her feelings anymore. She had come to this city for a new start, for the "perfect" guy like Liam, but deep down, the thought of facing Jade made her stomach flip in a way that felt dangerously like falling.
She couldn't face him. Not today. She checked the window, waited until the neighbor's driveway was clear, and then bolted for the bus stop.
The mission for the day was survival. Her mother's ultimatum was clear: no job, no Thailand. Layla spent the first three hours of her morning walking through the local mall and the surrounding streets, her backpack heavy with copies of her CV.
Her first stop was the Tim Hortons near the metro station. The smell of roasted coffee and sugar usually felt comforting, but standing behind a long line of impatient customers made her palms sweat. When she finally reached the counter, she asked for the manager.
"We're pretty full on staff right now," the woman said, barely looking up from a tray of donuts. She took Layla's paper with a distracted nod. "We'll reach out if something opens up."
Layla walked out into the crisp air, feeling a wave of discouragement. We'll reach out. It was the phrase she had heard for two years. It was the polite way of saying "no." She sat on a bench, staring at her phone, waiting for a text from Liam that she knew wasn't coming. He also couldn't come up with a response to her question yesterday … "what's next for us ?"
"There you are!"
Sarah appeared around the corner, looking bright and energetic in a puffer jacket. She had promised to help Layla with the "Job Hunt Marathon," and she was the only person who could make Layla feel like the world wasn't ending.
"Any luck?" Sarah asked, linking her arm with Layla's as they started walking toward a row of boutiques.
"Tim Hortons gave me the 'don't call us, we'll call you' speech," Layla sighed. "And Liam is a ghost. He hasn't messaged me since he dropped me off last night."
As they walked, the dam finally broke. Layla told Sarah everything. She told her about the dinner, about how Liam had looked like a wreck, and the weird, aggressive energy when she mentioned the lake. Then, her voice dropped to a whisper. "And Jade... he told me he likes me, Sarah. Right before the date. He cupped my face and he... I don't know what to do."
Sarah stopped walking. Her face, usually so expressive, went completely still. She looked away, her eyes fixed on a shop window, but she wasn't looking at the clothes. A shadow passed over her expression, a mix of pain and a memory that looked decades old.
Sarah knew. She knew exactly why Jade was the way he was. She remembered being fifteen, hiding in the park, the way Jade used to look at her before the world got complicated. They had been each other's first everything, the first hand held, the first "I love you," the first heartbreak. It was the hidden reason her brother, Liam, couldn't stand to look at him. To Liam, Jade wasn't just a neighbor; he was the guy who had broken his little sister's heart and then turned into a stranger.
But looking at Layla's hopeful, confused face, Sarah felt a lump in her throat. How could she tell her best friend that she was falling for the one person who was forbidden?
"Just... be careful, Layla," Sarah said, her voice sounding forced. "Jade is complicated. More than you know."
"Everyone keeps saying that!" Layla cried, frustrated. "But nobody will tell me why."
Sarah just hugged her tighter, the secret burning a hole in her chest. She didn't have the heart to tell her that by falling for Jade, Layla was walking straight into a fire that had been burning since they were kids.
They spent the rest of the afternoon handing out resumes at bookstores and pharmacies. By 4:00 PM, Layla's feet were aching and her spirit was dampened. She and Sarah parted ways at the bus station, Sarah promising to try and get some answers out of Liam.
Layla was halfway home when her phone vibrated. She pulled it out, expecting a "Sorry" from Liam. Instead, it was an unknown number.
"Hello?"
"Hi, is this Layla? This is the manager from Tim Hortons. One of our weekend staff just quit unexpectedly. If you can handle a fast-paced environment, the Saturday and Sunday morning shifts are yours. Can you start tomorrow at 6:00 AM?"
Layla felt a surge of pure, unadulterated relief. "Yes! Absolutely. I'll be there."
She arrived home just as the sun was dipping below the horizon. She purposely kept her head down as she walked past Jade's house, her heart doing that annoying thumping thing again. She didn't want to see him. She didn't want to explain why she was with Liam, or why she had signed the papers, or why her heart felt like it was being pulled in two different directions.
She made it inside, told her mom the good news about the job, and retreated to her room. She didn't turn on the light. She just sat on the edge of her bed, watching the street.
Liam still hadn't texted. Sarah's warning was ringing in her ears. And through the gap in her curtains, she saw the light flick on in the house next door. Jade was home.
She was officially a Tim Hortons employee. She was officially a traveler to Thailand. And she was officially, terrifyingly, in the middle of a history she didn't understand.